Hungarian opposition politician claims police attack

Fidesz MP Zoltán Lengyel is claiming he was brutally beaten by police officers late Sunday evening on Budapest's Alagút utca. At the same time, police have reported Lengyel to the prosecutor's office for physical assault on an official.

According to fn.hu, Lengyel said that three officers who were not wearing identification stopped his car at around 11 p.m. and asked for his papers. As he had nothing on his person to identify himself, he called a relative to bring his papers to the scene. He said that the officers then pulled him out of his car, pushed him to the ground and took him to the District I Police Station. Lengyel was able to indentfy himself there with his passport, which had been brought in by a relative.

Lengyel's injuries were recorded at the János hospital. He had injuries on his hands, legs and back. Lengyel had reportedly told the officers that he was a Member of Parliament, but that he could not prove it. He said he was going to file a report against the officers for physical assault.

Meanwhile, Népszava reports that proceedings have been started against Lengyel for physically assaulting an officer. According to the paper, he - accidentally or deliberately - struck one of the officers on Sunday evening. The paper's sources said that after he was taken to the police station, he "tried to cause injuries to himself by throwing himself to the ground" and said he would "blame brutal policemen for his injuries."

Footage recorded by surveillance cameras will be handed over to the prosecutor's office.

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